Stones in Ashes

Hi everyone, this is my first year burning. I am burning nut coal and when I shake it down I get big red and tan colored stone getting stuck in my grates. I have to open the grates pretty far to get them to drop because they get jammed in there. I don't know if I have bad coal or doing something wrong.I have a Harman Mark iii. Thanks for any info.

Does the ash appear to have a reddish tint or doesn't it have any color but appears gray? You may just be jamming small pieces of coal. Did you try to bust any up to see what's inside?

Clinkers are pieces of ash that have fused together.Will happen easier with coal containing a lit of iron. Ash will be pink. Running the stove at lower fire box temperature will help. If you can, fill the fire pot fully which will put out the same heat as a less full pot run hotter.

hkling wrote:Hi everyone, this is my first year burning. I am burning nut coal and when I shake it down I get big red and tan colored stone getting stuck in my grates. I have to open the grates pretty far to get them to drop because they get jammed in there. I don't know if I have bad coal or doing something wrong.I have a Harman Mark iii. Thanks for any info.

'Tis the season for the "clinker" you may need to shake the ash sooner or a couple jabs with a poker from above the coal bed to brake up the fire as some coal can burn and fuse the iron ore. Use the search box top right corner, and type clinker. Good luck and welcome. Mike.

Welcome.
Do the "stones" look like the ones in this thread ?

Clinker Pics

Paul

Some of the stones look like the pic from tractor supply. Some are tan and smooth like a stone. Others are like pieces of shale some tannish and some reddish tint.